Leonardo agrees fleet maintenance deal with PHI

Italian helicopter maker Leonardo and Louisiana-based flyer PHI Group (PHI) have signed a long-term “special component plan” that Leonardo said would “bring PHI’s AW139 helicopter fleet back into an OEM-level powered-by-the-hour (PBH) agreement”. PHI, which Leonardo described as a “leading helicopter service provider for energy, search and rescue, and air medical transport missions” has a fleet of 20 Leonardo AW139s and AW109s. The deal will be “dedicated to the existing fleet of AW139s in service to provide long-term maintenance support to help mitigate cost uncertainty and standardise maintenance expenses that are more directly correlated to flight hours”, Leonardo announced. “Leonardo